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Chapter 16

Kass caught a taxi through the Melbourne rain to the address Bailey had given him. He hadn’t said he was back, but Bailey would know. He’d feel it, in the same way Kass knew he was getting closer. His skin tingled with anticipation. The sky darkened as the storm closed in. Rain drummed on the roof of the taxi, drowning out the radio.

He’d made sure he’d gotten leave for as soon as he was back. Had booked the flight to Melbourne and barely made it in time. Now he was only minutes away. Only minutes, but after all the time away, the extra seconds were too much.

The taxi pulled up out the front of a very ordinary looking house. Nothing about the blue weatherboard and white picket fence said witches and shifters lived there. He paid, grabbed his backpack off the back seat and got out, his shoes splashing in the puddles on the pavement. The taxi pulled away and the front door opened.

For a heartbeat, Kass couldn’t move.

It had been nine months, and he wasn’t sure if they could do more than fuck each other senseless before leaving again. But Bailey was a magnet he couldn’t resist. Maybe this time wasn’t right either, but that wouldn’t stop him from trying.

He opened the gate and walked through. Then Bailey was down the stairs and into his arms. Kass breathed him in. Bailey had grown his hair, but it was still dark. He was the same, yet different again.

“I knew you were coming.”

“How could I not?” He brushed the wet, dark strands off Bailey’s face and kissed him carefully, hoping that Bailey didn’t tell him it wasn’t like that anymore.

Bailey returned the kiss with a heat and hunger Kass had missed. “Come inside. You need to take your clothes off and get dry.”

His shoes squelched as he walked up the steps. Then Bailey stopped on the top step and turned to stare up at the sky. The rain gave way to fat flakes of snow that drifted to the ground only to dissolve.

Bailey closed his eyes and smiled. “I think this time is better.”

Kass reached into his pocket, unable to take his eyes off his mate as snow dusted his eyelashes and hair. He was too pretty. He’d wanted to save it for dinner or something, but now was the moment. In the snow.

“Bailey,” he dropped to a knee on the wet concrete step, determined to get part of this right.

Bailey looked at him, his eyes widening in delight as he saw the ring. “Are you…”

“I am asking you to marry me. We don’t have to rush it, but I don’t want anyone else. And even if I only see you half the time, that’s better than not having you at all. That’s not the bond or the magic, that’s me. I love you and that hasn’t changed. And I want to make it work.”

“Yes. Of course I’m going to say yes.” He held out his hand and Kass put the silver band with three small inlaid sapphires on his finger. Bailey’s smile was worth everything.

Bailey pulled Kass up and into a soggy embrace.

Happiness radiated off him and Kass surrendered all his doubts and gave into Fate.